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tooth-brushing several times per day, and other such measures. considerations—of the agriculture business. Consider the They recommend flossing, mouthwashing and regular dental widespread use of deadly pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and cleanings, along with anything else that has the effect of reducing genetically modified organisms. Who benefits the most from the mouth bacteria and bolstering the enamel. They even go so far as use of these methods? Who must suffer the consequences of the to apply sealant to the teeth in order to protect them from this vile long-term side effects of these poisons? acid. In regard to therapeutic diet and nutrition, they believe that the True Causes intake of sweets and sugary foods feeds the bacteria and thereby It seems that an inordinate amount of effort is put into giving increases the severity of the problem.* They believe that by people the appearance of a healthy smile, without anything actu- exposing the teeth to fluoride, this will increase the strength of the ally being done to promote the reality of such an event. Teeth enamel and improve resistance to acid-producing bacteria.” An whiteners, whitening toothpastes and cosmetic dentistry presented interesting conclusion that one could infer from these beliefs is to the public by the ADA give us the subtle feeling that this that you could eat all the sugar you desired without the corrosion organisation is doing all it can to make us look and feel our best. of the teeth if you just brushed and flossed afterwards so as to Yet this veil of deception is only a thin curtain which hides one reduce the bacterial ecosystem. What did people do to prevent of the great atrocities of our time. If we get down to the root of tooth decay before there was toothpaste, toothbrushes and this problem, we see that it extends down deep into the Earth, into dentists? the soil—and we see how we have been self- They further attempt to treat those who ishly depleting the richness of the soil for hun- apparently are not brushing thoroughly When the dreds of years without a thought of replacing it enough by filling cavities with mercury and . for future generations. exposing the population to water fluorida- archaeologists Tooth decay is really an environmental prob- tion—actions that have many far-reaching examine the skulls of lem: one that winds its way through the implications in themselves. Nearly everyone A ' ecosystem, inclusive of all life-forms from in the US has been affected by dental decay, these ancient people s microbes to mammals. It is not difficult to and we are told that this is a superficial prob- ancestors, they find connect the health of the soil with the health of em involving only bacteria in the mouth the teeth are in those people eating food from the soil. A rich working against the thin layer of enamel that age diversity of microscopic life, insects and other rotects our teeth. Only the veneer of their perfect condition. subterranean creatures inhabit and interact with story relative to the truth is thinner than that For thousands of the top layer of soil. In the process of their liv- enamel! What if the problem is much deeper and is a direct result of the Western way of life? What if the prob- em of tooth decay is inherent in the ways we have chosen to feed ourselves and the way we take care of the Earth? We have become so transfixed dealing with the sequelae of mercury fillings and fluoridated water that we've lost sight of the original, underlying problem: tooth decay that has resulted from consuming over-processed and depleted foods. We seem to have forgotten that our modern societies. ancestors, before industrialisation, kept Factory farming techniques have left all of their teeth in great condition their whole lives without den- the soil sterile and depleted. Synthetic petroleum-based fertilisers tists, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mercury fillings or fluoride in their and pesticides do not begin to replace the vast, intricate water! When we look at the old pictures of the Native Americans ecosystems that they supplant. Our method of agriculture is before they started eating the white man's food, we see that they chemically based, and it neglects to take into account the health of had excellent dental health. When the archaeologists examine the the very soil on which it depends. The current technology leads skulls of these ancient people's ancestors, they find the teeth are in to over-farming of the land and depletion of the soil. Hardly any perfect condition. Generation after generation, for thousands of attempt is made at all to replace the minerals lost to the harvested years, there were no problems. It is only in our own modern era crops. The factory processes which most farmed foodstuffs go ing and dying, the dirt is transformed into a reservoir of nitrogen, abundant minerals and other biological building blocks. Plants absorb these compounds, and farm animals eat the plants. Humans then go on to eat both the plants and animals. When people have access to foods that have been produced from healthy soils containing proper amounts of phosphorus, calcium and all trace minerals, then they receive these nutrients directly from eat- ing the food. Such is not the case in our years, there were no problems. It is only in our own modern era that dental decay has become a huge concern. that dental decay has become such a huge concern. through after harvest only add insult to injury, all but stripping the One of the many great differences between "primitive" cultures meagre nutritional value from these tortured products. and our modern society is the list of items that we consider food. A stroll through any supermarket will reveal the underlying Food for our remote ancestors came directly from the Earth, causes of our dental woes. Every item on the shelf, it seems, has whereas food in an industrial society is factory produced. Modern been altered from its natural form. All of the foods seem to have farming methods along with common food processing practices added sugars, added sweeteners, refined grains and refined strip our diets of most all essential nutrients. Herein lies the true vegetable oils. Canned, packaged and preserved foods are the cause of tooth decay. Our modern way of life seems to norm and it is difficult if not impossible to find much other than necessitate the mass production of foodstuffs; however, the these at most major food outlets. Even the "fresh food" aisles efficiency of our current system is based on the profit margin of | seem no less contaminated. Some fruits and vegetables have been the corporate food industry. The health of the planet and all of its genetically modified and just about everything has been sprayed inhabitants is not the driving force—nor even one of the greater repeatedly with poisonous chemicals, pesticides and synthetic considerations—of the agriculture business. Consider the widespread use of deadly pesticides, synthetic fertilisers and genetically modified organisms. Who benefits the most from the use of these methods? Who must suffer the consequences of the long-term side effects of these poisons? When the archaeologists examine the skulls of these ancient people's ancestors, they find the teeth are in perfect condition. For thousands of years, there were no problems. It is only in our own modern era that dental decay has become a huge concern. 18 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2006